John Bancroft, who was a captain in the French and Indian War, built the brick house that still stands at 530 Pochassic Street in Westfield. Rev. John H. Lockwood, in his Westfield and Its Historic Influences (1922), writes of

Capt. John Bancroft who, in 1755, built in Pochassic what was probably the second brick house in the present Hampden County, the old Day house in West Springfield dating from 1754. The Bancroft house was by far the more massive and pretentious of the two and is still a notable mansion. Captain John, its builder, was a prosperous farmer, owning slaves, like a few of his fellow townsmen of the time. He was very proud of his elegant mansion. A tale, which may be pure romance founded on his well known characteristics, has come down to our time, somewhat as follows: He was wont to sit within his commodious domicile and watch for passers by in order to gloat over their envious glances. One day, while thus engaged, he called out to one on the road, “Did you think that you had reached paradise?” Quickly came the stunning response, “Yes! I did think so, until I saw the devil looking out of the window.” Sic transit gloria mundi!

The Alden Press of Holyoke, of which Edward S. Alden is president, has purchased the three-story building at 214 Maple Street. The firm took possession of the building some months ago and has spent a large sum in equipping it as a first-class printing plant. The Artisan, a labor weekly, is published here and there is a job department also. Among new equipment have been added a rotary press, monotype machine and two job presses.

The building on the corner of Elm and Main Streets (2 Main Street) in Holyoke, was erected in 1842 for Lyman and Thomas Lewis. Originally a boarding house, the building was soon operated as a hotel called the Westfield House. It was expanded on the north side in 1855. After the hotel closed in 1894, the local district courthouse occupied the upper section of the building from 1904 through the 1930s. Later names for the building were the Morrissey Block and the Park Square Building. Read More